Research conducted on behavior and communication in families with a member who suffers from schizophrenia suggests that expressed emotion results in defective emotional reactions and cognitive distortions that are necessary to the development of schizophrenia symptoms.

State University of New York at Albany

Family intervention is a vital component of schizophrenia treatment that involves both patients and their families. It takes into account the important role that families play in the recovery of individuals with schizophrenia as well as the emotional toll that this role can have on family members. Not only has it been known to reduce symptoms and decrease the risk of relapse in those with schizophrenia but it has also helped to alleviate the sense of burden felt by family members. 

Family Intervention Therapy for Schizophrenia Patients and Family Members 

Whitbourne, S. K. (2023). Abnormal psychology: Clinical perspective on psychological disorder. (10th ed.). McGraw Hill.

Expressed Emotion Reference 

-  Effectiveness of a brief family strengths-oriented therapeutic conversation intervention for patients with schizophrenia and their caregivers

References for Family Intervention Therapy for Schizophrenia Patients and Family Members 

One type of family intervention is family strengths- oriented therapeutic conversation, or FAM-SOTC. One form of FAM-SOTC took place over the course of four weeks (one hour long session per week). The intervention aimed to examine how schizophrenia has affected the patients and families, helping them to look at their experience in a new light and help them establish a sense of normalcy, help the family develop coping skills, and promote growth in the family. 

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